1. Field
This disclosure relates generally to pressure sensors, and more specifically, to dual port pressure sensors.
2. Related Art
Pressure sensors have become important in a number of applications especially automotive applications. They are typically a combination of a transducer that responds to pressure and an integrated circuit (IC) that interprets that response to provide an electrical signal, analog or digital, that relates to the pressure. In dual port applications, there are two inlets to the transducer, and it is the differential pressure at those two inlets to which the transducer responds. There are a variety of factors such as how the actual combination of the transducer and IC are placed together and the relationship of the mounting to the two inlets. Also the resulting combination will often be mounted on a printed circuit board and how that mounting occurs can be important. For example, it may be important for the printed circuit board to have potting material applied to it. In such a case it is important that neither inlet be covered by the potting material. This may result in both inlets being on the top side of the combination and then creating issues as to how the transducer receives the differential pressure from the two inlets. Also, it is desirable for both the IC and the transducer to be as small as possible to reduce cost.
Accordingly, there is a need for a pressure sensor that improves upon one or more of the issues discussed above.